


Wanda's Reward

by JayTyHeyBye



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Choices, Crying, Death used to Date Thanos, F/M, Family Reunions, Most Of These Characters Are Just Mentioned - Freeform, Pietro Maximoff Feels, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Reunions, She's a little OOC but ey, Stucky if you squint, Temporary Character Death, Thanos (Marvel) Dies, Thanos gets an axe to the head, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, science bros if you squint, so if you're not okay with that maybe stay away, wanda centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 17:39:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14623766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayTyHeyBye/pseuds/JayTyHeyBye
Summary: Wanda, when confronted with Death herself, must make a choice. Lady Death isn't prepared to take her soul. Not today, at least. Instead, she wants to strike a deal with the Witch to end this war once and for all.





	Wanda's Reward

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I cried writing this  
> MAJOR INFINITY WAR SPOILERS WOW HOT DAMN

The first thing Wanda could feel was a chill that sparked through her entire being, through her toes, fingertips, up to the top of her head. Green eyes focused on the scene around her as her friends, no, her family, began to turn to ash. Thanos had won. Wanda had tried her damnedest, the way she had always promised she would, and it hadn’t been enough. 

The first one to go had been Bucky. Wanda watched the horrified expression etch it’s way onto Steve’s face as the Soldier turned to ash, his now dusty gun on the ground the only proof he had ever even existed. Steve staggered forward ever so slightly, just enough to clarify that Bucky was truly gone, before the other’s began to change. 

Ah, so that’s what this was. Wanda was going, too. She could feel her body becoming lighter, and she couldn’t help but say a silent prayer, a thank you, to whoever was releasing her. She could see Vision again. A tear made it’s way down her cheek as an image of Pietro flashed through her mind. Wanda would finally be able to see her brother again. 

Wanda Maximoff could get the peace she so desperately craved. No more fighting, no more war, or death, or hurt. Just peace. 

She had always expected death to be cold, but it was warmth that flooded over her. It started in her legs and began to inch its way up her abdomen. There was no point in fighting it, there was no way she could win.

All Wanda could do was brace for what awaited her on the other side. Lifting her head, she found herself gazing up at the sun as it shone through the trees. It sent a wave of calm through her chest as heat began to bubble towards her neck.

A gentle exhale, and Wanda let her eyes fall shut. The warmth reminded her of a summer day in Sokovia, and Wanda embraced it. 

 

The warmth faded, and soon Wanda realized that she was no longer kneeling. The ground was under her feet, and a soft breeze was flowing through her hair. She didn’t expect to open her eyes and see an endless plain before her. Glancing downwards, Wanda couldn’t actually see her feet. They were hidden in a purple fog, yet when she bent down, she could feel the ground. The dirt felt like ground up velvet. It was oddly comforting. Looking upwards, the sky glowed a faint lilac. The clouds floating were a faint lavender, yet the sun was shining a bright, beautiful orange. It looked like a permanent sunset, and it filled Wanda with temporary relief. Wanda couldn’t help but notice in that moment that she was alone, and the relief was quick to wash away. Where was Vision? Pietro? Her vision began to blur, but Wanda forced herself to blink the tears away. She would not cry, not yet.

Her eyes caught a slight movement to her left, and she was quick to turn towards the source. There stood a large archway that had steps leading out of the mist, it was black and grim, contrasting the soft pastel colours the rest of the area provided. It looked somewhat more ominous.

Standing in the dead centre of the archway, was a woman Wanda had never seen before. The woman wore a long black dress that seemed to turn to mist near the bottom, Wanda had no idea if she even had feet. Her skin was a light gray, almost white depending on how the light hit her. Black tattoos swirled up and down her arms, twirled gracefully up her neck and onto her face. Upon looking closer, Wanda swallowed the lump in her throat. The woman’s mouth appeared to be sewn shut, but she gave Wanda a kind smile nonetheless. Her eyes were pure white, black markings surrounding them. It looked as though someone had painted skeletal markings on her face, but Wanda had a sinking suspicion they were real. Despite all that, Wanda couldn’t help but find the woman disturbingly beautiful. She removed the hood to her cloak, revealing jet black hair that remained tied back into a tight bun. 

“My child, there is no need for your tears.” Her voice echoed around her from every direction and despite it’s kind tone, it made an unfamiliar anger churn inside Wanda’s stomach. Her mouth didn’t seem to be moving due to the stitches, but Wanda knew it was her speaking.

“Who are you?” Wanda demanded, her fingertips beginning to tingle. Her vision began to smear with red, yet the woman simply chuckled. The mysterious figure waved a single hand and in the blink of an eye, Wanda was standing on the archway beside her. The woman took her hands and instantly, Wanda could feel her power draining. Every fibre of her being told her to pull away, to fight, yet something about this woman screamed safety to her. 

“I kept him away from you for as long as I could, Wanda.” There was a hint of regret in her voice, and Wanda’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to speak, to demand answers, but she found herself unable to do anything other than watch as the woman released one of her hands, brushing her fingertips over Wanda’s cheek. She was ice cold to the touch and it sent a shiver down Wanda’s spine.

“Wh-who are you?” She managed out a whisper, voice barely audible. The one remaining hand in Wanda’s gave a soft squeeze.

“You know who I am, Pet. You know where you are.” Lady Death murmured, releasing her grip on Wanda entirely. Wanda sucked in the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “You have done so well, Wanda Maximoff. I will not let your sacrifices be in vein.”

She turned towards the archway, snapping her fingers. Two bright lights shot up from the mist in the other side and zipped over to her outstretched hands, each light hovering over her palm. Death turned towards Wanda, sadness glinting in snow white eyes.

“This is the best I can offer you. After you make this choice, I will return you to Earth. You are the only one strong enough to shatter the stones...to stop Thanos, once and for all.” 

“What...what choice?” Wanda’s voice wavered slightly, and Death gave her a reassuring smile. It wasn’t all that reassuring, though. It was more creepy than anything. 

“I have taken so much from you, Love. I would like to return something to you, once this is all over.” She twitched her fingers and the two lights shifted. One now hovered beside her right shoulder, one on her left. When she snapped her fingers, the lights began to manifest into figures, one taller than the other.

Wanda recognized them immediately. 

Green eyes locked with icy blue ones, and she didn’t even attempt to stop the floodgates.

Pietro was exactly the way she remembered him. He was in his new Avengers uniform, clean and blood free. His hair was as white as white could be, minus the roots showing at the top of his scalp. He still had a bit of stubble that Wanda used to tease him about, he still wore that stupid smirk that she absolutely adored. Pietro was grinning from ear to ear at his twin, and Wanda could see he was trying to hold back his own tears. He used to mention he had a Bad Boy reputation to maintain, apparently that was still valid.

On Death’s other side stood a man Wanda had fallen head over heels for, he was looking down at his hands and his body in such utter confusion. His hands trembled as he poked and prodded at his abdomen, clearly searching for the massive tear through his body. One of his hands suddenly shot up towards his forehead and a look of horror crossed his feature when there was simply bareness, no stone. It was as though the thing had never existed inside him. 

Vision’s eyes shot up when Wanda let out a sob, her knees buckling. He was rushing forward in an instant, dropping by her side and pulling her into his arms, the same way he always did. 

After a long moment, Wanda lifted her head from where it had rested on Vision’s shoulder. She locked eyes with Death, a challenging look having made its home on her face. 

“Take me, instead.”

Both Vision and Pietro began to protest but as Death raised her hand, both men silenced. Wanda was glaring at the woman through her tears, never once faltering. 

“I cannot take you, child. It is not your time. You have many decades of life ahead of you. I am offering you-”

“I don’t care what you’re offering me!” Wanda was shouting now, pushing Vision away from her. She rose to her feet and rushed the woman, red sparks illuminating her hands and shining through her eyes. Wanda shot the most affective blast she could at Death out of pure frustration, it seemed to be all she could do in the moment. Death waved her hand once more and the blast seemed to miss her entirely, making a detour up into the sky. It shot through the top of the arch which seemed to instantly repair itself, and Wanda let out a furious yell. She began to rush forward again but a sudden flash of blue and two hands grasping her wrists had her coming to a halt, despite how much she struggled against Pietro’s hold.

“Wanda... Wanda! Stop, stop it. Shh, hush now. Listen to me, Little One.” Pietro’s voice was full of emotion, but simply hearing his voice was enough to have Wanda stilling. She rested her forehead against her brother’s chest, and her shoulders sagged as Pietro began to pet her hair. 

“I’m not Little.” Wanda’s voice was muffled, but it filled her body with so much familiarity as she heard Pietro huff out a laugh. “Only 12 minutes younger.” 

Pietro cupped her cheeks and tilted her head up until they locked eyes. Wanda could see he was struggling to get the words out, to stay strong for his sister.

“I-I want you to pick Vision.” Before Wanda could protest, one of Pietro’s hands covered her mouth. “Let me finish. I’m...I’m okay here, Wanda. I’m not in any pain. Vision can make you happier than I can. I...I’ve seen how happy you are with him, I know how much you care for each other.” He removed his hand in order to wipe the tears from Wanda’s cheeks, and she let out a quiet sob.

“I-I can’t lose you again, Pietro-”

“You’re not losing me. You never lost me, Wanda. I have been right by your side every single day, even when you didn’t know I was there. I will continue to be by your side, for now until the day you cease to exist, even after that. I want you to pick Vision. As...as my dying wish. Can you do that for me, Wanda?” There was a moment’s hesitation, before the younger twin gave a soft, shaky nod. Pietro pressed a kiss to Wanda’s forehead, only to pull back a moment later. 

Wanda wiped the last of her tears away and as she glanced over her shoulder at Vision, he was just now rising to his feet. He was watching the twins intently, and Wanda heard Pietro clear his throat.

“If you ever harm her, I will haunt you for the rest of eternity.” The speedster warned, and Vision shifted his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“I expect nothing less.”

Pietro gave Wanda an ever so slight nudge on the shoulder, and that was all the encouragement she needed. She rushed forward as Vision extended his arms and all but launched herself into them, her arms flinging around his neck as he squeezed around her waist. Vision was able to spin her in a circle with the momentum, pulling back enough to kiss her head once he’d settled her back on her feet. Wanda pulled back, grasping his face in his hands as she forced the man down into a kiss. Vision seemed momentarily surprised, but didn’t hesitate in returning the gesture.

The only thing that caused the couple to break apart was the sound of Pietro fake gagging on the other side of the archway, beside Lady Death. Death had a kind smile on her face, and Wanda could have sworn she heard the woman laughing at Pietro’s joke.

“Have you made your choice, Child?”

Wanda made eye contact with Vision, who smiled warmly at her. Wanda returned it, sniffling.

“I have.” 

“Good. Once Thanos is within my grasp, you will claim your reward. Until then...” Death approached, placing her hand on the back of Wanda’s head, “make me proud, Wanda Maximoff.”

Wanda felt the ground underneath her disappear as Death pushed her head forward, and as her eyes closed, she felt a familiar warmth shoot through her body. 

 

“...nda?” 

Wanda scrunched up her face, a quiet groan. There was a hand on her forehead and she could sense people surrounding her.

“...Wanda? Oh, thank God. Wanda, can you hear me?” 

Green eyes fluttered open only for a moment before squeezing shut, the sun blinding her. She was back in the forest of Wakanda. Steve Rogers hovered over her, letting out a sigh of relief as the young girl stirred.

Wanda was soon being scooped up into his arms, bridal style. She could hear Steve shouting to someone in the distance, but she couldn’t make out the words. All she knew was that Steve was taking her somewhere. 

“We have to...Vision...Pietro...” Wanda attempted to stir in his arms, but Steve simply adjusted her in his arms, shushing her. Steve wore a sad expression, almost appearing numb. Wanda couldn’t blame him. 

“Rest, Wanda. We’ll...we’ll figure this out.”

Steve was right about pretty much everything, so Wanda didn’t hesitate to listen to the Captain. Her eyes fell shut, and she drifted into the world of unconsciousness. 

 

Wanda couldn’t even begin to explain the relief that flowed through her body once she destroyed the final stone. Everyone had been reunited, each group from different corners of the universe. A bruised Tony stood by Bruce, his arm around Banner’s waist to keep the exhausted man upright. Nebula, a woman Wanda had never met before, stood over Thanos’s body. Thor’s axe was lodged efficiently in his head. Thor seemed proud of himself, yet exhausted at the same time.

Steve and Natasha stood side by side, both of them looking hesitant. A talking racoon stood off in the distance, arms crossed. He kept stealing glances at Thor and Nebula, but stood alone nonetheless.

Wanda heard Steve sharply inhale as the Soul Stone, the last stone, shattered into pieces. 

For a long while, there was nothing. The stones had been destroyed, yet nothing seemed to change. Wanda’s hands dropped down by her sides, her breath heaving. The silence around them was deafening. Well, it was deafening until they heard a quiet thunk, followed by Thor cursing.

The Thunder God spun around in anger, about to go off on whichever poor soul threw a rock at him, but he was cut short. Loki stood before him, another tiny stone in hand and a tired smile on his face. Just as Thor charged him, the others began to reappear. Everything Thanos did was beginning to undo itself. The guardians returned, Wanda watched as Rocket raced to greet his friends. A woman with green skin appeared in a flash and with a gasp, a human man was quickly turning and embracing her. Well, he was until Nebula forced him out of the way and demanded a hug. 

Tony rushed forward as a teenage boy dropped to his knees, frantic hands searching over his body as if checking it was real. Tony simply broke down in tears, hugging the kid a little too tightly.

Wanda watched with a soft smile as Steve all but ran to Bucky, dropping his new shield and tackling the man in a hug. Bucky let out a breathy laugh, returning the hug. He gripped the back of Steve’s uniform, almost as if he feared they would be separated again. 

As everyone faded back into existence, Wanda took the time to look over Thanos’s body. Lady Death hovered over him, an open jar in her hand. A purple light rose out of the man’s body and floated easily into the jar. Wanda watched as Death shut the lid, then tucked it away under her cloak. White eyes locked with green ones, and Death smiled. She held a finger up to her lips, making a “shh” motion. When Wanda attempted to step towards her, a man clearing his throat had her hesitating. 

The witch turned around, already knowing who was waiting for her. Vision stood before her, a wide smile on his face. He appeared to be the same as always, minus the hole in his head where the stone should be. He was there. Thanos couldn’t take him away again. Wanda would never let anyone take him away ever again. 

Vision began to run forward until Wanda was within his grasp, and he lifted her into his arms. He held her under her thighs as Wanda held on around his neck, the duo sharing a tearful laugh. It was over, they’d won. They could retire together. They shared a kiss, then two, then three, then ten. They pressed their foreheads together, merely taking a minute to breathe and bask in the other’s presence. 

That was, until, Wanda heard a woman clear her throat.

Vision set her down and when the pair looked around, everyone appeared frozen in their spots. Death had returned, now hovering a few feet away from the couple.

“You did wonderfully, Wanda. You have no idea how proud I am of you.” Death turned to look back at the body of Thanos, sighing. “The man has always sought my affections, you know. He once claimed he wanted to change the universe for me, to give me more souls. The only appealing thing about him was his ability to Love. You see so many corrupted souls nowadays, so stuck in their ways that they don’t see the damage they cause. Throughout it all, arguably, Thanos cared for his children. I was prepared to sit back and let him do his bidding, until...” Wanda caught Death’s gaze as it shifted, landing on the Green woman with the gradient hair. She had tears on her cheeks as the human known as Starlord hugged her so damn tightly. “Until he threw his last bit of sanity away. His last bit of humanity. As I said, Wanda, you have done wonderfully. You deserve this. You deserve...peace.”

Wanda blinked, and Death had disappeared. Everyone around her began to move again, reuniting and rejoicing at the idea of having their loved ones back.

Something seemed to catch their attention, however, because everyone seemed to stop. They appeared to be looking directly at Vision and at Wanda. Wanda looked in between her and Vision, only to notice after a moment that Vision was looking slightly passed her. He looked shocked. 

Wanda hesitantly turned around, her breath catching in her throat at the man who stood before her. 

“I told you I’d be by you, every single day.” 

Tears welled in her eyes and before she had time to form any kind of response, Pietro was racing forward to pulling his twin into a long awaited hug.


End file.
